Plastic carryout bag ban extended to restaurants as of Aug. 24

The County of Mendocino's ban on single-use plastic bags became effective for takeout restaurants on Sunday, Aug. 24 for the unincorporated area outside the cities.

Restaurants can use paper bags instead of plastic for takeout orders.

The plastic carryout bag ban affected other retail stores in January 2013. The Board of Supervisors voted to extend the ban to restaurants earlier this year but allowed a transition period.

The Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority notified 110 restaurants in the unincorporated county about the Aug. 24 effective date. If a restaurant continues to use plastic carryout bags, it can be fined up to $500 for each violation.

"We know that the great majority of restaurants will support the ordinance," said Mike Sweeney, general manager of the authority. "If members of the public encounter a restaurant that hasn't complied, they should notify our office at 707-468-9710."

The purpose of the plastic carryout bag ban is to protect the environment from plastic bag litter. The single-use bags are also a problem because they jam recycling processing machinery.

The City of Ukiah has also extended its bag ordinance to include restaurant takeout bags, to take effect Oct. 30, 2014.

More than 120 cities and counties in California have adopted ordinances banning single-use plastic carryout bags. The state Legislature is considering SB 270 which would ban these plastic bags in food and drug stores throughout the state.